Apple to Unveil Smart-Home Hub, New HomePod Mini and Apple TV on Oct. 13

Apple (AAPL) is preparing a major smart-home product push for Tuesday, Oct. 13, 2026, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman, marking one of the first significant category expansions under new CEO John Ternus. The lineup is led by a smart-home hub internally code-named J490, featuring a roughly 6-to-7-inch square display for countertop or wall mounting. The device would use facial recognition to identify users and personalize the interface and content. Apple is also expected to unveil its first HomePod mini update since 2020 and its first new Apple TV since 2022, both retaining familiar designs with faster processors capable of running Gemini-trained Siri models. The move targets a smart-home market long dominated by Amazon (AMZN) and Alphabet's Google (GOOGL) (GOOG). Apple has largely relied on HomeKit and third-party accessories until now. AAPL shares have gained 29% over the past 52 weeks and 21% year-to-date, trading at 37.30 times forward adjusted earnings.